Company Profile

YooMedia plc is one of the fastest growing interactive entertainment companies in the UK.
Since 1997 we have been developing and launching leading B2C consumer brands in the gaming and community sectors. We also work in a B2B capacity with leading brand owners, agencies, content developers and broadcasters to design and develop their interactive content strategies.

Led by Executive Chairman Dr. Michael Sinclair and Group Managing Director Neil MacDonald, YooMedia has assembled a highly experienced management team that possesses a unique blend of skills and experience in the areas of Digital TV, Internet and mobile phone services and technology.

With main office locations in London, Exeter and Maidstone, YooMedia manages core assets including:

Over 30 office locations throughout the UK alone

State-of-the-art studio, production and post-production facilities at our Wapping location.

UK broadcast return path & bandwidth owner

Fully fledged UK Bookmaker License

Database with over 350K UK singles

SMS Engine access with international reach

Fully staffed 50 seat Customer Contact Centre in Maidstone, Kent

YooMedia Dating & Chat - Our dating subsidiary company manages the oldest and largest UK-owned dating brands including Dateline, Club Sirius and Avenues. YooMedia Dating has over 20 office locations throughout the UK and also manages YooChat, our world-leading interactive chat service found on UK digital cable on the Telewest platform (platform extensions planned for 2005).

YooMedia Gambling & Games - Combining the brands of Avago and Channel 425 (in partnership with William Hill) YooMedia is on the leading-edge of interactive fixed odds, casino and poker gambling services for digital TV, the web and 3G mobile phones. Our gaming business also manages YooPlay, the only interactive just for fun games channel found on all four Digital TV platforms in the United Kingdom.

YooMedia Enhanced Solutions (YES) - YES works with brand owners, agencies, content owners and broadcasters to clarify the options, define the strategies and deliver the interactive content that enhances consumer and audience experiences. YES customers include the BBC, Nestle, Celador, William Hill, Channel 4, ZipTV, The Cartoon Network and HR Owen.

mac

Thanks for the speed of your posts. Looking at the trading for the day, generally buying in relatively small trades: small investors taking advantage of the falling price, probably. Then three sizeable sells at 11:20 totalling 150,000 shares; well, not that large as it is 'only' 35K in total. Then spasmodic buys. How do you read the RNS? A reverse takeover implies that they are trying to swallow something larger than themselves, I believe. It would appear that YOO are trying to line up finance, presumably to avoid too great a dilution of existing shares. Is this positive or negative? Assuming it comes off, it could well be that they are buying positive cash flow and profits and thus improving the profit per share and pe. Is this how you read it?

Eric

yes a reverse is because YOO are looking to take over companies bigger than itself.
Although it may be a great deal you can not predict what the share price will do.
I hope it shoots up but I assume they may be paying for some or all of the deal with shares and bringing on board new directors.

mac

The RNS does refer to appropriate financing - it would hardly be appropriate if all the deal was shares and they lost control. Why would YOO do the deal? to buy the revenue stream and because of synergy with their own gaming operation. You will probably agree that the main driving force for YOO is technology leadership in the digital TV market place, so this may be big but in way it is incidental. I suspect it is an offer that they can't refuse. Why should the seller's sell? do they see that they will lose out because YOO have superior technology (e.g. access to all platforms) and that they will progressively lose market share? Do they want to be part of a much bigger success story? In particular, do they see the multiples ahead for the YOO share price? These implications seem to stack up? Do you have an alternative reading? This is not to say what reaction there will be in the market.

Eric

I think you have probably got it right Eric, i was just being on the cautious side, we will jus thave to wait and how the market will react.

Hang on tight! I reckon and hope it dosen't get too bumpy! Yoo are piling on the acquisitions this year - they won't have much pocket money left - hope it isn't based on a rights issue...

Don't say I never provide a service.

http://www.tvgg.tv/

Here is the daddy!

Part of the The Gaming Channel, so it's not just AVAGO!

http://www.isports.tv/

AVAGO have a turnover of at least 30m and that was last year.

Hence the term, 'reverse takeover'.

http://www.thegoodgamblingguide.co.uk/news/2003/g eneral/gamingchannel.htm

http://www.casino.co.uk/news/?id=387&st=11

Further to Eric's comments earlier.

A POSSIBLE ALTERNATIVE TO DILUTION.


"It is emphasised that the Acquisitions remain conditional, inter alia, on completion of appropriate financing and the approval of shareholders"

Is the term 'financing' indicative of a raising of capital, other than extra shares?

The new investors may be given a stake in a newly formed divison, say 50% in return for half the profits. We own the other half of the new division. A win, win situation for shareholders, with no dilution.

Rather like the Jiles management, who own 25% of the equity in Yoodating. The Jiles mangement were happy to swap their ownership of Jiles, for a 25% stake in Yoodating, with no further diulution for shareholders.

This represents my prefered solution.

18 September 2003

The Gaming Channel Launches with Freeserve Founder Funding

Interactive gaming expert Damian Cope appointed as Managing Director

The interactive gaming industry today sees a major new player with the launch of The Gaming Channel, a UK-based interactive gambling operator and service provider. The company, which will include established iTV games channel Avago as a subsidiary, is a privately-funded entity whose shareholders include Peter Wilkinson, business entrepreneur and Freeserve founder, and John Swingewood, formerly Director of New Media at BSkyB Plc.

The Gaming Channel is headed by Damian Cope, who has worked in the interactive gambling industry since its inception and co-founded the UKs first Internet betting service, Blue Square. He went on to work at Hilton Group where he was instrumental in developing Ladbrokes.com into a leading multi-lingual gambling portal. Cope joins The Gaming Channel from The Rank Group Plc where he set up its interactive gaming division. This included the launch of the UKs first fixed odds games site, Rank.com, the online casino HardRockCasino.com, and the interactive television joint venture with NDS Group Plc, Fancy a Flutter.

As its initial focus The Gaming Channel will take over the operations of Avago, the worlds first interactive betting television channel. Since its launch in July 2002, award-winning Avago has attracted more than 100,000 registered Sky viewers and developed an annual turnover of over 30 million. Future plans include extending the service to both the Internet and mobile applications, as well as developing further television channels.

In addition, The Gaming Channel will provide 'white label' gambling services to third parties, via iTV, the Internet and mobile. These will be offered to both existing gaming companies who require a genuine interactive television presence, as well as non-gaming brands that wish to generate additional revenues via this new medium. An announcement regarding the first of these agreements will be made in the near future.

Commenting on the new company and his appointment, Cope says: Joining this group of successful, dynamic entrepreneurs was simply too good a chance to miss. They have identified a major business opportunity and I am delighted to be chosen to lead The Gaming Channel. These are exciting times for interactive television that, in many ways, mirror the position of the Internet in the UK five years ago. I intend to combine my own experience with the technological and television expertise of the existing team to create a company that will lead the interactive gambling industry as a true pioneer.

-ends-

About The Gaming Channel
The Gaming Channel is an interactive gambling operator and service provider. It is a privately funded company, with its offices and studios located in London, England. The company holds its own UK bookmakers permit via its subsidiary, The Gaming Channel Bookmakers Limited.

Avago is the worlds first truly interactive betting television channel, operating on UK digital satellite television, channel 235.

8 July 2004

DITG and Teletext launch Teletext Games

Leading independent UK interactive television company, the Digital Interactive Television Group (DITG), has entered into a partnership with information and entertainment provider, Teletext. The agreement sees DITGs Gaming division run Teletext Games, a new service launched this week on Teletext on 4. Viewers on the Sky platform can access the service via the text button when watching Channel 4.

The Teletext on 4 information service includes a wealth of programme information, news, finance, sport, weather and travel, racing, lottery results plus a dating service for viewers to post and reply to personal ads.

The new Teletext Games service offers viewers multi-screen video-based and console-style games, and includes content such as fruit-machine style games and virtual horse-racing, all provided by DITGs Gaming division. Participants will be encouraged to register and play via cross-promotion from Teletexts other platforms including analogue TV, DTT and web, collectively reaching in excess of 20 million people a week.

Damian Cope, Managing Director of DITGs Gaming division, says: Teletext was the original innovator when it came to recognising televisions potential for being much more than a passive viewing vehicle. This partnership enables both companies to focus on their core strength of producing successful and entertaining television services.

Neil Johnson, Director of Commercial Development at Teletext comments: We are delighted to be combining the strengths of DITG and Teletext to bring Channel 4 viewers this new interactive gaming experience further adding to the wealth of news and entertainment available behind the text button on Channel 4.

-ends-

Digital Interactive Television Group (DITG)

The Digital Interactive Television Group (DITG) is the leading independent interactive television (iTV) company in the UK, providing creative broadcast formats for customers in a wide range of industry sectors. It was established in 2001 by Peter Wilkinson, the founder of Freeserve, and John Swingewood, the former head of new media at BSkyB.

DITG provides its interactive formats to major broadcasters including the BBC, Channel 4, MTV, CNN, Disney and the Discovery Channel.

DITG also operates its own TV channels via its Gaming Division, including Avago. Avago runs presenter-led games with a variety of formats and is the world's first interactive betting television channel. Since its launch in July 2002, it has attracted more than 150,000 registered Sky viewers, developed an annual turnover of over 50 million, and been nominated for a BAFTA Interactive Award.

DITG is headed by Neil MacDonald, previously CEO of Sportal, GM of internet and multimedia at BT and marketing director at Dixons Stores Group.

20 May 2004

WILLIAM HILL LAUNCHES TELEVISION CHANNEL WITH DITG

William Hill PLC has signed an agreement with the Digital Interactive Television Group Limited (DITG) that will see it broadcast a branded television channel on the Sky digital platform. The channel is scheduled to launch in late 2004.

Using DITGs unique broadcast and technology services William Hill customers will be able to place bets and play games directly via their television sets, initially on Fixed Odds Betting Terminals (FOBT)-style betting formats. The new service will also show live sports events and provide editorial sports content.

This initiative gives William Hill access to the growing Sky Digital platform that currently reaches more than seven million homes in the UK. There is also potential for the channel to be made available in licensed betting offices.

Says Damian Cope, Managing Director of DITGs gaming division:
DITG has already shown it can service traditional broadcasters this partnership shows us doing the same in the gambling arena with the UKs biggest bookmaker.

David Harding, Chief Executive of William Hill, said: This initiative places William Hill at the forefront of the UK betting industry in exploiting interactive television, which is gaining growing acceptance as a transactional platform. Our well known and trusted brand, ability to cross-promote the service to customers in other parts of our business, and choice of partner in DITG, a proven operator in this field, should provide us with significant advantages in pursuing this new profit stream.

-ends-


Digital Interactive Television Group (DITG)

The Digital Interactive Television Group (DITG) is the leading independent interactive television (iTV) company in the UK, providing creative broadcast formats for customers in a wide range of industry sectors. It was established in 2001 by Peter Wilkinson, the founder of Freeserve, and John Swingewood, the former head of new media at BSkyB.

DITG provides its interactive formats to major broadcasters including the BBC, Channel 4, MTV, CNN, Disney and the Discovery Channel.

DITG also operates its own TV channels via its Gaming Division, including Avago. Avago runs presenter-led games with a variety of formats and is the world's first interactive betting television channel. Since its launch in July 2002, it has attracted more than 150,000 registered Sky viewers, developed an annual turnover of over 50 million, and been nominated for a BAFTA Interactive Award.

DITG is headed by Neil MacDonald, previously CEO of Sportal, GM of internet and multimedia at BT and marketing director at Dixons Stores Group.

31 March 2004
What will punters bet on next?
- Live Gerbil Roulette no its not an April Fool ! -

Live interactive betting on UK television moves into a new league on 1 April with the introduction of Gerbil Roulette. And you can believe it despite the date, this is not an April Fool joke! The new game is launched on iSports TV (Sky channel 431), and is the brainchild of the Television Gaming Group (formerly The Gaming Channel), which is also responsible for the BAFTA-nominated, bingo-style Avago channel.

The announcement comes in the week that sees the final demise of Attheraces, the specialist horseracing and betting satellite channel run by the BSkyB, Channel 4 and Arena Leisure consortium.

Damian Cope, managing director of the Television Gaming Group, comments: Bookmakers are increasingly seeing their profits coming from non-sports betting events we wanted to see how far punters would go and the idea of using animals not typically used in the sports betting arena seemed a good way to put this to the test! Interactive television has transformed the traditional image of smoky betting shops and men-only punters and broadened its appeal to a much wider audience our challenge now is to continually look for ways to keep this new breed of punters entertained.

Each Gerbil Roulette game consists of a 30 40 second pre-recorded film clip (selected on a randomly-generated loop) of a gerbil moving from the centre of a roulette wheel and choosing one of eight boxes in which to settle. Players place bets on the box picked. Several gerbils were used during the filming to ensure variety and that no one box was favoured.

All animals were sourced from a licensed supplier, and none were harmed in the making of the programme.

05 August 2004

PHOTOS AVAILABLE ON REQUEST

Red Button Roulette
- DITG launches first real version of casino game -

DITG's Gaming Division has taken advantage of recent changes to gambling regulations by launching the first real Roulette game for interactive television. DITGs new game is an addition to the existing offering of iTV gambling products found on its own channels Avago (Sky 181) and iSports TV (Sky 425).

Participants use the red button on their remote control to play Roulette for fun, or place bets to play for real. The presenter-led, video-based product also features a real roulette wheel rather than a computer-generated one to enhance the viewers experience.

The launch of the new game is allowed under an agreement between Sky and the Gaming Board for Great Britain stating that Roulette can now be offered via interactive television, subject to a number of player and gameplay restrictions.

Damian Cope, Managing Director of DITGs Gaming Division comments: The recent changes in gambling regulations now enable us to offer our interactive TV customers one of the worlds most popular gambling products. With the obligatory restrictions we impose on gameplay, together with our constant review of player activity, we believe that this is an exciting, but safe, new area of home entertainment.

I've concluded, it's in the interest of the founders, stakeholders, of the Television Gaming Group, to agree to terms, very favourable to existing Yoomedia shareholders.

Firstly, bear in mind, The Television Gaming Group, is only answerable to a few private stakeholders. The better the deal for Yoomedia, the higher the SP will go. The purpose of this agreement for the other party, is to have their investment recoqnised on AIM. Upon completion, the other party will wish the SP of the combined group to be as high as possible, thus increasing thier own wealth. So favourable terms for both sides, is good for the SP and everyone wins.

The SP soars and the other party achieve a 'back door' stock market lisitng, IPO.

Ultimately the higher the SP between now and completion of deal, the better off the stakeholders of Television Gaming Group will be. Favourable terms for Yoomedia shareholders, suits both sides. The present market cap is 38m. Well under a normal IPO, the other party, in reasonable market conditions, might expect to be floated at 100m, given the prospects for the sector.

75m new shares, would mean a takeout price of 17m. If the city feels the combination of Yoomedia and the new 'back door' IPO is worth 100m, then the SP would rise to over 40p. Creating value for both sides.

240m shares in issue, after completion * 40p = market cap of 96m. Given the prospects for the sector and our mobile technology, I feel this is quite realistic. Recent research suggested by 2008, 82% of U.K. households will access digital television. That's an 82% consumer penetration rate, for the new company. 96m market cap is very reasonable. The other side has an annual revenue of at least 50m.

That is how value will be created for all.

I feel the directors may be creating significant short term value for Yoomedia shareholders and I will be among the first to congratulate them, if they pull it off.

mac

More prodigious efforts. We seem to be on the right track. First, though, there is the question of share capital. MoneyAM quote 125m whereas you appear to be quoting 175m or thereabouts. Your figure appears to tie up better with the interim accounts. Since then we have had MMTV and there are options with regard to Go Play. Anyway, lets base things on your figures.

You are assuming 75m new shares at current price giving take-out price of 17m. That sounds very low; I'm not sure how you arrive at a launch price of 100m. Suppose the figure is 50m, I'm not sure how you convince the vendor that the price of YOO will go to 40p; even then that would only imply a price of 30M.

There appear to be two possibilities, possibly in conjunction with the above. First, they own 49% of a gaming subsiduary which might be worth 30M say on its own, in addition to the 30% of YOO itself. Second, loan capital is raised to pay part of the acquisition costs. These three options could be combined in some way that would be attractive to all parties. The term 'financing' would be appropriate.

Finally, I would be pretty certain that what emerges is a win/win situation. OK, the shares are suspended so we can't do anything. What appears very likely indeed is that they open much higher when the suspension is lifted.

Eric

Eric
I hope you are right. I have to say that in all the situations i have been involved in like this the share price has usually been destroyed in the short term and without any obvious reason. I have concerns.AMU recently did a reverse takeover at 10p shares auspended, dropped to 8p after. Still looking to recover on what everyone thinks was a good deal!Not expert in these matters but makes me twitchy. Yoo exciting opportunity but still getting my head around what this large acquisition will mean

Willfagg

How much of the company did the directors own? What incentives did the directors have to strike a good deal? Ours own +30%.

The target had a market cap of 37m. What was the market cap of AMU at the time? Was the dilution 100%, 200% or more? The sector Yoo are involved in, promises so much in future revenue streams, I believe the positives are greater than the negatives. I expect a part share, part cash deal, involving the raising of capital. Also, ownership may be split, lessening any dilution for Yoomedia shareholders. All sorts of ways to spank the monkey!

Imagine if the aquisition was funded entirely via a bank loan!

I wonder how long the suspension will last! - days, weeks, months? Is this a "how long is a piece of string" type question?